Improvement in steam-traps



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F, A. PRATT. Steam-Trap.

Patented May 4, 18,75..

THE GRAPHIC C0.PHOT0L|TH.39 8:41 PARK PLACE,N.Y.

FRANCIS A. PRATT, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO RUFUS N. PRATT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

' |Mt"RovEMENT IN sTEAM-TRAPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 162,765, dated May 4, 1875; application filed March 11, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS A. PRATT, of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Traps; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, whereby a person skilled in the art can make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Like letters in the iigures indicate the same parts.

The object of my invention is to provide a mechanism which shall allow water to flow through it to a steamgenerator, but which shall prevent the ilowingback of steam through the pipe when the water enters. My invention can also be adapted to regulate the ilow into a boiler, so as to maintain the water within it at a given height.

My invention consists in an arrangement of levers, valves, and pistons, by which the steam-pressure in the boiler, acting upon a small subsidiary valve, throws a piston back and forth in a cylinder, so as to open and close, alternately, the communications between a reservoir-chamber and the water f'anmdmsteam pipes, the whole forming anutonatic-iirechanism for admitting the water into the boiler.

1 In the accompanying drawings on two sheets, Figure l shows an upright view of my improved steam-trap, with the reservoir-cham- 'ber in section. Fig. 2 is a top view, with the valve mechanism shown in section. Figs. 3

vand 4 are a side aud top views of the seat of the small rotating valve, showin g the steampassages. Fig. 5 is a side view, and Figs. 6 and 7 are a top and bottom view, of the small rotating valve. Figs. 8 and 9 are a side and top view of the valve-seat arranged for a slide instead of a rotating valve, and Figs. l0 and ll are a side and top view of the slidevalve adj usted to it.

A is a reservoir, which is alternately filled with water and emptied. It has a checkvalve, V, at the bottom, to prevent any tlowing back from the boiler. B is a ioat, which rises and falls with the waterin the reservoir. (l is a lever, attached to the ilo-at at one end,

other. lt is attached to the shaft I), which extends through a stuffing-box to the outside .of the reservoir. C is an arm, extending upward, outside of the reservoir, from the shaft I), and is operated by the arm C. At its upper end it has a swivel-socket, through which slides the bar E. F and Gr are two adjustable stops upon the bar E, which can be clamped in any position, so that any desired amount of motion can be given to the bar E by the movement of the arm C. H is an arm, attached `to the axis I of the small rotating valve J. K is a cylinder, into which enters the water-pipe L, which may be the drip-pipe coming from a system of steam heating-pipes, or any other water supply, and also the steam-pipe M, leading from the boiler. Within this cylinder moves the double piston N N. This cylinder K has upon its interior the circular grooves a b c, and from its under side leads the pipe O. From the groove a a small aperture, d, leads through the thickness of the cylinder to the space above the small valve J, to supply steam from the pipe M through the groove a.. From the valve-seat ,two small channels, c and f, lead to each end ot' the cylinder, and also an exhaust-pipe, g, leads from its center out to the open air. The valve J (shown more particularly in Figs. 5, 6, and 7) has two openings throughit, (shown at e and f,) which Vare brought alternately over the channels e orf, in opposite positions of the valve as it rotates back and forth by means of the lever H. It also has upon its under side the groove g', which always covers the exhaustpipe g, and opens a connection with the opposite end of Vthe cylinder to that which is in connection with the steam through one of the openings e f.

In the position shown in the drawings, the steam has entered through M a d ff and driven the piston N N to the opposite end of the cylinder, from which the steam has escaped, through e g g, to the lopen air. This position of the piston opens communication irom the water-pipe L to the reservoir A, through the space between the heads N and N of the piston and the pipe O. This allows the reservoir to fill, and raises the float B.

When it has risen so as to bring the lever G against the stop G it reverses the valve J, brings the opening e over e, and connects f with g. This throws the piston N Nl to the other end of the cylinder, and closes the waterpipe L, while it opens communication between the steam-pipe M and the reservoir A. The entering steam from the boiler creates .an equilibrium of pressure above and below the water in the reservoir, and the water flows out by its gravity into the boiler, the reservoir A being placed sufficiently high for the purY pose. When the water has ilowed out the descent of the float throws the end of the lever C against the stop F, and againl reverses the small valve J, which again throws the piston, and the reservoir ills. This alternate action continues automatically. If it is desired to feed water into the boiler only to a certain level, the steam-pipe M is inserted at that level, in which case steam cannot enter to operate the apparatus until `the water falls below the orifice. In place of the rotating valve J a slide-Valve can be used. The valve shown in Figs. 10 and 1l slides back and forth in the groove h, Fig. 8. It opens and covers the ports e fg in the ordinary manner 0f a slide-valve, and is operated by a crankpin upon the end of shaft I, working in the The ports d e f g" correspond groove 'L'.

to d e fg before described. P is an opening in the top of the cylinder K, usually fitted with a small pipe and stop-cock Q. This opening or vent is opened and closed by the movement of the piston-head N. It is open when the piston is in the position shown in the drawing, and allows all uncondensed steam or air which may be within the reservoirA to escape, and allow free entrance to the water from the pipe L When the piston moves to the other end of the cylinder, to allow steam to enter from the pipe M, it closes the opening P, so as to prevent the escape of the steam. The cock Q is merely for the purpose of adjusting the size of the escape-aperture P.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination of the subsidiary diskvalve J and its steam-channels with the cylinder and reciprocating piston K N N', and the steam and water pipes M L O, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

2. The aperture P in the cylinder K, in coinbination with the reciprocating piston N and pipe O, leading to the reservoir, to form an escape-valve, substantially as herein described.

FRANCIS A. PRATT. Witnesses:

W. H. BINNs, THEO. G. ELLIS. 

